V-League Must Begin Reform with Youth Football Culture

A four-match suspension handed to Doan Van Hau, together with dangerous challenges involving Huynh Tan Sinh and Van Son in incidents against Nguyen Dinh Bac, has reopened the debate about the quality of competition in the V-League. These incidents should not be treated only as isolated disciplinary cases. They raise a broader question about how Vietnamese players are taught to compete, control their emotions and respect opponents from the earliest stages of development.

An interview published by Dan Tri, based on comments from an unnamed European expert, argues that the problem reaches beyond post-match punishment. The expert believes that many young players have not received sufficient instruction in sliding tackles, one-on-one duels and decision-making under pressure. When physical confrontation becomes the main method of competing at an early age, correcting the habit at professional level becomes considerably more difficult.

The incidents mentioned in the analysis formed a troubling sequence during the early part of the season. Doan Van Hau received a four-match ban after a challenge on Doan Ngoc Tan. Nguyen Dinh Bac was later involved in two incidents in which Huynh Tan Sinh and Van Son deliberately pulled him down. The available material contains no expected-goals, pressing or passing data. This is therefore not a tactical review of a specific team. It is an examination of technical education and behavioural standards in Vietnamese football.

From my experience following football in Japan, modern academies spend substantial time on details that may appear minor: body position when closing down, the contact point during a tackle, deceleration before a duel and the correct reaction after losing a position. These exercises do more than help a player win the ball. They teach when pressure can continue and when a player must stop to avoid injuring an opponent.

The central concern for the V-League is that some young players may learn how to win a collision without learning how to win it safely. A defender who reads the game well does not need to use maximum force in every challenge. A midfielder with proper body control can press aggressively while remaining balanced. A well-educated player understands that frightening an opponent is not the only measure of defensive quality.

Heavy rain and poor pitches can cause players to slip, lose balance or mistime a challenge. Competition for starting places can also increase tension at the beginning of a season. Yet these factors should be viewed as aggravating conditions, not complete explanations. If tackling technique is properly developed, a player must still be able to adjust when the surface changes.

The expert’s most important argument is that habits formed at youth level can become extremely difficult to change after a player reaches the professional game. A player who has been encouraged to intimidate opponents or treat excessive contact as proof of courage may carry that belief for years. Suspensions and fines address the consequences, but the root of the problem lies in the development process.

The core insight is that the fight against dangerous football must begin with the quality of youth coaching, not only with harsher punishment for professional players. Sanctions remain necessary to protect players and preserve competitive discipline. Their effectiveness, however, should be measured by whether incidents decrease, not simply by the number of matches a player misses. If dangerous challenges continue despite repeated punishment, the Vietnam Football Federation and Vietnam Professional Football should reassess deterrence, consistency and enforcement.

Responsibility cannot rest only on players. The Vietnam Football Federation must help establish coaching and development standards. Vietnam Professional Football must organize a safer competition and coordinate with clubs. Clubs must examine the quality of youth coaching instead of focusing solely on first-team results. Without clear ownership, reform can remain limited to statements made after each incident.

Playing experience is valuable, but it does not automatically make a former player an effective youth coach. Coaches need knowledge of child psychology, technical development, football laws and the creation of an environment that respects opponents. Asian Football Confederation licensing can provide a foundation, but certification has meaning only when accompanied by continuous education and practical evaluation.

A contradiction remains. Supporters want to see players fight for every ball, but young players learn what fighting means by watching senior professionals. If dangerous tackles are ignored or presented as signs of bravery, the message passed to academies is clear: the result matters more than the method. In that environment, one suspension cannot change the culture.

The players named in the incidents should not become scapegoats for a systemic problem. Every challenge must be assessed through disciplinary records, danger, intent and consequence. Media coverage should remain accurate and avoid turning individual players into convenient explanations for a league-wide issue.

Vietnamese football now needs a multi-year reform program. It should include youth-coach education, standardized tackling lessons, repeat-offence monitoring, transparent disciplinary principles and stronger protection for players repeatedly targeted in challenges. Cultural change cannot be completed in one match week, but early signals can appear immediately through the way governing bodies explain and enforce their decisions.

People do not remember only the score; they remember why they stayed in the bar. The memory becomes meaningful when the game remains within the boundaries of sport. The V-League will improve when its loudest moments come from passes, goals and shared emotion rather than fear of another player being injured by a reckless challenge.